ICF in place of slab

HI, I am not a builder and I am getting confused. Are these ICF products like Quadlock and AMdeck being used instead of a slab or on top of a slab? I don't want a crawl space or a basement and I want to have decorative concrete floors with radiant heating. I thought that if ICF could be used instead of concrete slab as the foundation, i could have great insulation, places for pipes and wiring, and a decorative concrete overlay with the radiant heat in between. Is this just wrong thinking?

It sounds like what you are wanting is an insulated slab. ICF floor decks wouldn't be a good choice for that.

If you were going to have a basement, you could use an ICF floor deck for the main floor of the home. That would, as you stated, enable you to "have great insulation, places for pipes and wiring, and a decorative concrete overlay with the radiant heat in between."

I am just finishing the design phase of a home with an ICF floor deck. In addition to the benefits you listed above, it will also be integral to the storm shelter in our basement.